Clock lamp



DSC. 19, 1922. 1,439,075. C. E. DRESSLER.

CLOCK LAMP.

FILED APR.6.1921.

344 anto@ m fc /u Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

UNITED STATES CHARLES E. DRESSLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLOCK LAMP.

Application filed April 6, 1921. Serial N0. 459,120.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. DRESS- I LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clock Lamps, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in combined illuminating and time keeping devices of the class commonly known as clock lamps.

This type of device generally includes an electric light which is mounted to extend into a dial carrier on which is arranged time indicia, this dial carrier being carried on a Support rotatedv by any suitable clock mechanism which will cause the dial carrier to rotate a given distance in a given time, the light being supplied with current from any ordinary electric light circuit.

It is the especial object of the present invention to produce an improved construction of a clock lamp in which the wires to the lamp are arranged so that the wires may remain stationary, and in which the parts for driving the dial carrier are reduced in number as compared with prior Structures, so that the device may be produced at small expense and will be durable and certain in its operation.

Vith these and other objects not specically referred to in view, the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and such novel parts and combinations will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section and partly broken away of the clock lamp embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of part of the con# struction shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on line 2-2 of that figure. .l

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view ofthe construction illustrated in Fig. '2 the section being taken on line 3 3 of that figure; and

Figure 4 is a detail plan vi/ew, partly in y section, of one of the contactsemployed,

Referring now to these drawings, the improved device will include a standard 1, v aving a base 2, this standard and base being hollow so as to conceal certain mechanlsms hereinafter referred to:

The standard 1 may be of any suitable configuration, and the base 2 may be formed integrally therewith, and is preferably as shown of a somewhat larger diameter so as to afford a secure support on which the lamp may stand on a table or other article of furniture without danger of overturning. This standard may be of any suitableI material, as metal, and the base may be closed by a plate 3 removably secured by 'screws 4 to a ring or flange 5, as secured to or integral with the base.

This plate 3 supports a clock mechanism of any suitable character, a usual spring mechanism indicated at 6 being shown, secured to the plate by screws 7. This clock mechanism drives a rotating support which is preferably in the form of a rod 8 which may, as shown, be hollow and which extends up from the clock mechanism through the hollow standard 1 before referred to.

For convenience in assembling, or for removing the rod if it be desired for repairs, or other purpose, the rod is connected to the clock mechanism so that it can be disengaged therefrom by simply lifting the rod. This is effected by-making the end of the rod hollow and providing it with side slots 9 which pass over a pin 10 on a short shaft or arbor 11 connected with the clock mechanism, the short shaft or arbor extending up into the hollow end of the rod. With 'this construction the rod may be disengaged from the arbor by merely lifting they rod and it may be drawn upwards out of the standard together with the parts carried thereby, as hereinafter referred to.

Mounted so as to rotate with the rod is a dial carrier which preferably is in the form ,1,

of a hollow bell shaped shade of metal or other material 12, this dial carrier being provided with time indicia 13 preferably circularly arranged as shown around the lower edge thereof.

Mounted so as to extend into this dial carrier is an electric lamp 14, and in the preferred construction and as shown this lamp rotates with the rod. In accordance with the invention a construction is pro'- vided whereby thedial carrier may be rotated by a single rod, or other support driven from the clock mechanism, and in which the conductor wires for the electric light are fixed so that they do not have to rotate and consequently do not tend to break -at the connections.

As illustrated, this dial carrier includes a frame or housing 15 which is secured to a plug or block 16 of suitable insulating material, the housing being provided with a holding flange 17 by which it is secured to the block 16 by means of screws 18. This block is preferably provided with a lower bead 19 which acts as a stop for the housing for assisting in holding it in place and also gives an attractive finish.

The housing or frame 15 is provided with an upper fiange 21 inside which a flange 22 makes a friction fit, this flange 22 depending from a plate 23, from which rise spaced supports 24, these supports 24 forming in effect a cage of sufficient dimensions to pass over the electric light 14. These supports 24 at their upper ends are secured in a block 25, in which is supported the dial carrier 12, before referred to, a screw cap piece 26 being screwed into the block and holding the dial carrier in position. `With this slip connection between the flanges 21, 22 the dial carrier may be rotated relatively to the rod, for setting the carrier, and this construction furthermore makes assembling easy.

Secured to the plug or block 16 by screws 27 is a second block 28 provided with.a seat formed by a flange 29, in which fiange seats a socket 30 for holding the electric light, athis socket including the usual outer and inner walls 31, 32, separated by an insulating sleeve 33. The block 28 is secured to the rodA so as to rotate therewith as by screws 20. The bottom of this socket is formed of an apertured disk 34 opened to the end of the rod 8, before referred to, and the upper end of the rod is made hollow so as to receive a plug contact 36, connected by a contact spring 37 with a terminal 38 of the lamp.

Constructions embodying the invention will include connections whereby the circuit wires 40, 41 may be arranged so that they are stationary. Thus these wires do not move with the rotating parts and do not break. Furthermore, these connections will be arranged so as to be of few parts and consequently cheap to assemble.

While various constructions may be employed whereby the wires may remain sta'- tionary and the connections made to the lamp, as illustrated there is provided a plug 42 of suitable insulating material secured in the top of the standard 1, this plug being preferably formed with a finishing bead 43 so as to provide an attractive appearance.

This plug 42 is apertured and the rod 8 eX- tends therethrough and rotates inside the plug. This plug 42 is, therefore, stationary with respect to the plug 16, the plug 16 rotating, in the particular construction shown, above the plug 42 and closely adjacent thereto. Contact from one of the wires, as Wire 40, is made through the supporting rod 8, and to effect this the wire is connected to a contact 44 which presses on a flange 45 on a sleeve 46 pinned to the rod, the flange 45 and the sleeve 46 and the rod being of conductingmaterial, the currentpassing through the rod to the contact plug 36 and thence to the lamp. When the rod 8 is thus used in the circuit it is divided and the two parts are united by an insulating sleeve 47 having a dividing web 48, the rod being` thus insulated from the clock mechanism.

Contact to the lamp may be made for the other wire in any suitable manner. A convenient construction is that illustrated in which there is provided a ring 49 of contacting material which is set in to the plug 42. Contacting with this ring 49 is a spring ring 50 of conducting material set into the plug 16, this spring ring being secured centrally and with the ends 51 therein, thus ensuring contact between the ring 50 and the ring 49. Contact is made from this ring to the socket by means of a rod 52 through a bracket 58 on the insulating disk 29, before referred to.

The wires 40, 41 are connected from the leading-in wires a, through a switch 54 of any suitable character, by which the light may be turned on or off as desired.

(lo-operating with the dial carrier is a pointer in the form of a spring finger 55 secured in any suitable manner to the standard 1, before referred to.

With the construction as described, the wires are stationary, and the dial carrier and parts carried thereby may be lsupported and rotated by a single support, and a very simple and convenient connection to the light has been provided. While the construction lshown has been found effective in practiceIr it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the exact construction shown and described, but that changes and variations may be made therein without departing from the invention.

What ll claim is:

1. The combination of a standard, a clock mechanism supported therefrom, a frame, a hollow dial carrier mounted on the frame, a stationary pointer co-operating with the dial, an electric light extending into the dial carrier, a single rotary support for the frame and light driven by the clock mecha-` vnism, fixed conducting wires for the light, a fixed connection for one wire', and a connection 4rotating with the support for the other wire.

2. The combination of a standard, a clock mechanism supported therefrom, a rotary support driven by the clock mechanism, a

vframe carried by the support and rotating therewith, a hollow dial carrier mounted on the frame, a stationary pointer co-operating with the dial, an electric light mounted on the support so as to extend into the dial carrier, fixed conducting wires for the light, a connection including the support for one wire, a connection rotating with the support for the other wire, and means whereby the support is insulated from the clock mechanism and the standard.

3. The combination of a standard, a clock mechanism supported therefrom, a frame, a hollow dial carrier mounted on the frame, a stationary pointer co-operating with the dial, an electric light extending into the dial carrier, a rotary support for the frame and light driven by the clock mechanism, a block fixed in the standard, a wire leading thereto, rotary connections from the block to the light, a plug in contact with the rotary support and connected to the lamp, and a fixed wire leading to the support.

4. The combination of a standard, a hollow rotary dial carrier, an electric light ex tending into the dial carrier, a block fixedly secured in the standard, a block rotating With' thedial carrier, stationary wires, and

rotary connections between the blocks for connecting the wires with the lamp.

5. The combination of a standard, a hollow rotary dial carrier, an electric light ex` tending into the dial carrier, a block fixedly secured in the standard, a block rotating with the dial carrier, stationary wires, a contact carried by the fixed block to which one of the wires leads, a spring contact carried by the rotary block, connections between the spring contact and the lamp, and slip connections from the other wire to the lamp.

6. The combination of a standard, a hoL` low rotary dial carrier, an electric light extending into the dial carrier, a block fixedly secured to the standard, a rotary support for rotating the dial carrier, a block securedl thereto, said support passing through the blocks, a stationary wire leading to the fixed block, a contact between the blocks, connections from the rotary block to the lamp, a slip connection between the lamp and the support, and a stationary wire to the slip connection through lthe support.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES E. DRE-SSLER. 

